Month / November 2009

Nokia is alleging price fixing on LCDs and has sued AU Optronics (AUO), Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), LG Display, Samsung, and Sharp. Nokia, the world’s largest maker of mobile phones, sued the three LCD suppliers on November 25 with the US District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco division. Nokia is seeking to recover damages resulting from a price-fixing conspiracy by LCD suppliers. I’m scratching my head. With display market research firms like DisplaySearch able to provide detailed pricing as well as cost of manufacturing information for small/medium LCD panels why would any supplier risk legal trouble by price fixing? But LCD suppliers have done stupid things like this before. Source: The Wall Street Journal

There is a rumor that AU Optronics (AUO) will be merging with Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) on Friday, December 4, 2009. AUO will soon lose its position as #1 LCD supplier in Taiwan thanks to Chimei Innolux. A merger with CPT would bring that crown back to AUO. CPT is focusing on panel production for notebook PCs and small/medium applications. Consolidation in Taiwan will certainly help in streamlining the LCD supply chain and making the entire Taiwanese LCD industry more competitive. Source: DIGITIMES

Pandav, an iPhone developer, told MacRumors that PinchMedia’s usage logs for November reveal a device identifier iPhone3,1. The current iPhone 3GS has an iPhone2,1 identification, which PinchMedia first reported in October 2008 eight months prior to the iPhone 3GS release. The iPhone3,1 might be the next iPhone prototype being field tested. On a similar note, the next-generation iPhone will most likely have a much better map app than the current one if a new Apple job listing for an “iPhone Software Engineer” position becomes filled:

We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We’ve only just started.

Sony announced November 26, 2009 that the company expects 50% of all of its TVs to be 3D capable by 2012. For FY2013, Sony expects 30-50% of all TV models to be 3D. Sony also predicts gaming will be a big factor in 3D adoption: think a future 3D PlayStation titles. Other than games 3D TVs need video content and it seems South Korea is trailblazing with a 3D TV terrestrial broadcast trials in 2010. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is optimistic about 3D TV:

We want to go a step further and become the first country in the world to broadcast 3D TV in HD quality on terrestrial television.

As of December 1, 2009, Sony‘s Mobile Display subsidiary will take over Epson Image. This move will allow Sony to be more vertically integrated in manufacturing displays for its mobile gear such as its PSP, PSPgo, MP3 players and mobile phones. Source: PRAD

For those of you who pre-ordered the Nook, the dual-display ereader from Barnes & Noble, be happy: the company has upgraded you to overnight shipping and a US$10 Barnes&Noble.com Online Gift Certificate. Why is the company being so nice? Because Barnes & Noble is so sorry… that your Nook won’t be shipping out today as promised; you’ll need to wait until December 9th. At least, that’s what Barnes & Noble is expecting. Who knows what might actually happen. Source: ZDNet

That’s according Dave Winer in his post titled “Zealotry sucks, and so does the Droid”. But Dave thinks all of today’s phones suck:

Today’s phones are marvels of technology. I love them. But they all suck. Let me repeat that: THEY ALL SUCK.

Dave really does not like that the battery cover won’t stay on the Droid. But he doesn’t like the iPhone either:

It’s a lovely piece of art, run by a platform vendor with a shitty idea of users and developers and serviced by a phone company that can’t run a cellular phone network.

But Dave Winer isn’t the only one, Stewart Alsop, former editor and columnist at InfoWorld and now a venture capitalist, also doesn’t like the Droid. His main point from his article “Droid Doesn’t: It’s Not Ready For Prime Time”:

The Motorola Droid is truly terrible… most of the blame for the cruddiness of the phone really should be laid at Google’s feet, not Motorola’s.

So what are some things Stewart doesn’t like about the Droid? There are many: Continue reading →